How to switch agent-only callbacks to everyone callbacks in bulk

A Scheduled callback in VICIdial is either agent-specific (USERONLY) or open to any available agent (ANYONE). When a callback is set to USERONLY, the system holds that lead for the designated agent and will not offer it to anyone else. That works fine while the agent is still around — but if that agent leaves, takes extended time off, or their schedule changes, every USERONLY callback they own sits frozen. No one else can take it. The Switch Callbacks tool in the Advanced Lead Management Tools section exists specifically to fix that situation in bulk.

What Switch Callbacks does

Switch Callbacks queries for USERONLY callbacks that fall within a date window you specify and converts them to ANYONE callbacks. The query looks at both the entry date of the lead and the scheduled callback date, so you can target a specific block of time rather than touching every callback in the system. The result is that the reassigned Lead records become eligible for any agent in the Callback queue, not just the original designated agent.

flowchart TD
  A[Lead has USERONLY callback] --> B{Original agent available?}
  B -->|Yes| C[Agent receives callback at scheduled time]
  B -->|No - left or schedule changed| D[Callback sits frozen]
  D --> E[Admin opens Switch Callbacks]
  E --> F[Set date range for callback date]
  F --> G[Submit conversion]
  G --> H[Callback type changes to ANYONE]
  H --> I[Any available agent can now take it]

How to run Switch Callbacks

1. Go to Advanced Lead Management Tools in the admin panel.
2. Locate the Switch Callbacks section. It is separate from the move, delete, and status-update operations on the same page.
3. Enter the date or date range you want to target. The query matches on both the lead entry date and the callback date, so set the range that covers the callbacks you need to reassign.
4. Submit the form. VICIdial will find all USERONLY callbacks in that window and convert them to ANYONE.
5. Verify the result by checking the callback queue or running a report to confirm the affected leads now show ANYONE as their callback type.

When to use this and what to watch for

The most common trigger is agent turnover. When an agent leaves, their USERONLY callbacks do not automatically open up to the team. Without Switch Callbacks, you would need to find and update each record individually, which is not practical at scale. The date range filter gives you control: you can convert only the callbacks scheduled for the next week, for example, rather than touching every historical callback that agent ever set.

A subtler case is schedule changes. If a team reorganization moves callbacks to a different shift than originally planned, converting them to ANYONE lets the agents who are actually working at that time take them. The Agent session system will then offer the callback to whoever is available when the time arrives, rather than waiting for someone who is not on shift.

Keep in mind that this conversion is one-directional and not reversible through the same tool. Once a callback is set to ANYONE, there is no bulk tool to reassign it back to a specific agent. If you need to re-assign to an individual, you would need to update the records at the lead level. Also note that only inactive lists can be modified by the surrounding Advanced Lead Management Tools operations — but Switch Callbacks operates on the callback type field and applies across the matching date range regardless of list status.

For context on how Switch Callbacks fits alongside the other operations on the same page, see our VICIdial admin bulk tools guide. For the entry-date and modify-date filtering options that apply to the other operations on the same page, see advanced lead management tools overview.

Want a hosted dialer where callback management works without manual workarounds? See VICIfast pricing - you can be live in under 40 seconds.